


From the Shadows

by Amancham-EN (Amancham)



Category: Leverage
Genre: Community: comment_fic, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Relationships, M/M, Not Beta Read, Pre-Slash, Prompt Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-04
Updated: 2012-02-04
Packaged: 2017-10-30 15:39:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 966
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/333318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amancham/pseuds/Amancham-EN
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>From the shadows Nate watches Eliot. Watches him getting hurt. It hurts Nate, too. But he can't show just how much it hurts him ...</p>
            </blockquote>





	From the Shadows

**Author's Note:**

> Original Post: http://comment-fic.livejournal.com/166277.html?thread=36045957#t36045957
> 
> prompt:  
> Leverage, Nate/Eliot, Every new injury Eliot gets breaks Nate's heart just a little more

From the shadows Nate watches as Eliot makes his way across the room. He sees the slight limp the other man hides as best as he can. He doubts the team will notice. The young hitter is pretty good in hiding stuff like that. Once he asked Eliot why he tries to give the impression he never gets hurt. His answer was short and simple: “If I get hurt, I'm just like them. If I'm just like them, how can I expect them to trust me to keep them safe? They cannot know, Nate.”  
  
But Nate knows and it hurts him, when Eliot hurts. Mainly because he knows for Eliot to limp, even slightly, the pain must be pretty excruciating. If it wasn't, Eliot would walk normally.  
  
He sits in the corner and watches Eliot talking to the others, fighting off Hardison as he does so often. The young hacker wants to hug him again. Eliot doesn't like to be hugged. But Nate knows, that is mainly because he had managed to dislocate his shoulder in the fight about a week ago and is still hurting. Of course, Alec doesn't know.  
  
Parker is in a good mood, today. She wants to dance and literally jumps Eliot from behind. Nate winces at the mere thought of the pain this must cause the young man. But Eliot puts on a mask of anger and disgust at the dance request, picks Parker off his shoulders and shoves her into Hardison's arms. In a low voice he orders her to dance with Alec instead, stating that he isn't in the mood.  
  
Nate watches from the background. Wondering once more, how Eliot manages to stay calm. He knows Eliot is anything but a team player. He loves his solitude, likes to be by himself, and enjoys the silence. Yet he never hurt any of them, no matter how sour his mood or how badly he hurt. He always takes care of the others, the team. They are a family now. And often Nate can't help but think of Eliot, Alec and Parker as the children. Parker sure acts like it. He wouldn't want to miss it for the world.  
  
The door opens, men enter the bar. Nate watches as they approach an empty table, looking around. There is something suspicious about them. Eliot turns away from the others, now standing in between Sophie, Alec, Parker and the men. Like a shield, ready to protect what he has come to think off as his family and responsibility. Nate slowly gets up, to join his team. There is something strange about the men, something just feels wrong.  
  
It all happens so quickly. Within the blink of an eye all hell breaks loose. The men turn to his team and try to grab Parker. Eliot reacts immediately. He fights off the men, makes sure that no one lays even a finger on Parker or the others. It's a nasty fight. Nate can tell that Eliot hurts. He is slower than usual. A blow to the head makes him stumble and Nate's heart feels like a cold hand squeezes it real hard. Somehow it feels like he can watch the fight in slow motion. He sees every blow the strangers deal, every hit they land, every twitch of Eliot's body while he struggles to fight off five men at once. Yet Nate can't do anything. He can't move any faster and he is moving in slow motion, too. There is a flash when light hits cold steel and Nate, still on his way to help out, freezes in terror. A knife and Eliot can't see it coming from behind.  
  
“Eliot! Watch out!” he hears his own voice.  
  
“Behind you!” Sophie screams.  
  
Eliot turns just in time to block the attack, but Nate sees red. Blood, dripping onto the floor.  
  
The whole fight didn't take long. He just reaches them when the last attacker hits the floor and stays there. Nate knows he should deal with them, find out who they were. He can't. Not right now. First he needs to know how badly Eliot is injured.  
  
“Hardison, Sophie, Parker. Go upstairs and lock the door. We'll find out who they are. But I guess it's not safe down here.”  
  
They don't argue and follow his orders.  
  
Eliot is leaning against the bar, his hand pressing down on his upper arm. He breathes heavily. But only when the others have left, Nate can see pain on Eliot’s face and it breaks his heart to see him like that. Again.  
  
“Let me see,” he orders in a soft voice, pulling Eliot's hand away.  
  
"I'll live.” Eliot murmurs. “It's just a scratch.”  
  
Nate shakes his head slightly.  
  
“You need stitches.” He takes the towel the barkeeper holds out in his direction. “In the back. I'll be with you right away.”  
  
“Need to know what they wanted first. Need to know who sent them.” Eliot kicks one of the men angrily.  
  
“I'll take care of it.” Nate softly pushes him towards the door. “Go on. I'll be with you in a minute.”  
  
~*~  
  
Eliot takes another sip right out of the bottle and watches Nate stitching him up.  
  
“You're getting pretty good at this.” There's a smile on his face while he focuses on Nate's steady hands.  
  
Eliot is right, though. He had to stitch him up a few times now and sometimes he begins to think he's got more practice than a doctor by now. He hates when it happens, but he prefers being the one to help Eliot, the one to stitch him back together, the one to take care of him. It feels ... right. Once he's done, he'll retreat into the shadows again. Eliot doesn't know how much it hurts him to watch. Eliot mustn't know. Ever.


End file.
